Activists rally for refugees as EU leaders ramp up racist clampdown

by Tomáš Tengely-Evans

Published Thu 3 Mar 2016

Issue No. 2493

A young crowd says 'refugees are welcome here' in Edinburgh (Pic: Stephen McBroom)

The European Union (EU) president Donald Tusk has issued a threat to desperate refugees trying to get into Europe. “Do not come to Europe—it is all for nothing,” he said in an attack aimed at “potential economic migrants”.

Tusk made the remarks at a meeting with Greek prime minister and Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras.

The EU is desperately trying to patch together an agreement with Greece and neighbouring Turkey to lock refugees out.

Whether people are fleeing the West’s wars in the Middle East or want to come for “economic”
reasons—they should be allowed to come.

Over 100 people joined the Stand Up to Racism meeting in Manchester

That’s why activists across Britain are building mass anti-racist demonstrations in London, Glasgow and Cardiff on 19 March. These are part of a European day of action to say refugees are welcome and to oppose racism.

Momentum

Around 80 people joined a Stand Up to Racism rally in Edinburgh last night, Wednesday.

The audience was very young and included people from the Muslim Women’s Association, Momentum and migrant groups and Greek and Spanish activists. Activists sold tickets for the coach to the Glasgow demonstration.

On the previous night some 75 people were at a similar rally in Cambridge.

Dan Ellis from the Cambridge Calais Action Grouptalked movingly about the group’s solidarity work with refugees and decried the governments attacking them.

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